Leader of the House of Lords

Trade Bill

baroness liddell of coatdyke: To ask the Leader of the House what will be the timetable for consideration of the Trade Bill in this House.

baroness evans of bowes park: The proposed dates for the Committee stage of the Trade Bill were advertised in Forthcoming Business on 3 January, and are as follows: Monday 21 January, Wednesday 23 January, Monday 28 January, and Wednesday 30 January. Dates for further stages will be advertised in Forthcoming Business in the usual way.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Audit: Competition

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by theCompetition and Markets Authority Statutory audit services market study: Update paper, published on 18 December, what plans they have, if any, to implement greater regulatory scrutiny of auditors to improve competition in the accounting industry.

lord henley: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) update paper is an interim report and consultation paper. It is for the CMA, as an independent competition body, to assess responses to this paper before making its final report. The Government looks forward to the CMA’s final report, to be published in due course.

Consumer Goods: Safety

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that new EU regulations on unsafe goods could have on small businesses based in the UK after Brexit.

lord henley: The proposed new EU Regulation on Compliance and Enforcement is aimed at strengthening the framework for market surveillance and improving compliance with legislation that protects consumers from unsafe goods. While the Government supports the principles behind the proposal, we have been working in negotiations to reflect business concerns over potential burdens, including on small UK businesses, and to encourage greater proportionality and risk-based approaches. The final text of the proposal has not yet been agreed.

Business

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage UK businesses to invest in growthand expansion plans after Brexit.

lord henley: The Government’s ambitious, modern Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the country and to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business and a global draw for international investors. We have already put in place the building blocks to drive £20bn investment into high-growth potential businesses and support long term investment in the UK. In addition, we will publish the findings of the Government’s Review to improve business productivity in due course.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the net saving to energy companies as a result of the decision to end feed-in tariffs; and why they decided to change their policy.

lord henley: We announced on 18 December 2018 our decision to close the export tariff alongside the generation tariff because we do not believe that the current Feed-in Tariffs flat rate aligns with the Government’s vision for fairer, cost reflective pricing. The potential effects of the export tariff closure is set out in the Impact Assessment that accompanied the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) closure Government response.



FITs 2018 Consultation Response IA
(PDF Document, 422.32 KB)

CPM Group and Stanton Bonna Concrete: Cartels

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement of objections published by the Competition and Markets Authority on 13 December which provisionally found that Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd and CPM Group Ltd operated an illegal cartel from 2006 for seven years.

lord henley: Antitrust investigations are carried out independently of Government by the Competition and Markets Authority. It would not be appropriate for Government to comment on a particular case.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Sudan: Politics and Government

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes and extent of anti-government demonstrations in Atbara.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Since 19 December there have been demonstrations in a number of cities across Sudan, driven by concerns over the economic situation, including plans by the Government of Sudan to reduce subsidies on fuel and wheat. We are deeply troubled by reports of the use of live fire by the security forces. On 24 December the UK with Troika members the US and Norway released a statement expressing concern, and calling for investigations into any abuses. We continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan that it is crucial that the Sudanese people are allowed to exercise their right to freedom of expression in full. We urge all those exercising this right to do so peacefully.

Edem Bekirov

lord davies of stamford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken, or plan to take, in response to the arrest in Russia of Edem Bekirov.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned about the welfare of Crimean Tatar Edem Bekirov. Mr Bekirov was detained re-entering illegally annexed Crimea on 12 December. We have seen reporting that Mr Bekirov has been denied critical medical assistance and access to his lawyers. On 20 December, the UK publicly called on Russia to provide urgent medical care and access to legal advice. We will continue to work closely with international partners in monitoring and raising awareness of his case, alongside other political prisoners currently detained in Russia and Crimea.

Israa al-Ghomgham

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about Israa al-Ghomgham who faces execution for charges related to peaceful activism.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are monitoring the case of Israa al-Ghomgham closely and we understand that she has a trial scheduled. The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including Saudi Arabia. We will continue to raise our concerns on human rights with the Saudi authorities in private.

British American Security Information Council: Finance

lord robertson of port ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding support they give to the British American Security Information Council; and for what purposes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office allocated £49,874.00 to the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) in Financial Year 2018 to 2019. This supported a project on 'Foregrounding Nuclear Responsibilities', which aims to foster international understanding and constructive dialogue among moderate nuclear and non nuclear-armed states on the responsibilities of nuclear weapons possession and disarmament. We also provided £7,281.44 to BASIC in Financial Year 2017 to 2018 for a research paper and two private roundtables, in order to inform the international conversation on Nuclear Security Assurances and support the rules-based international system and institutions.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medical Records: Databases

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries the NHS is permitted to host patient identifiable health data; and whether this includes the UK.

baroness manzoor: The National Health Service does not operate a data localisation policy. In January 2018 the Department, NHS England, NHS Digital and NHS Improvement published guidance for the NHS on offshoring patient data. A copy of NHS and social care data: off-shoring and the use of public cloud services is attached.NHS and social care organisations are permitted to host patient identifiable data in countries that provide an adequate level of protection; within the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area, countries deemed by the European Commission to have adequate protections for the rights of data subjects, or in the United States where covered by Privacy Shield. There are no restrictions on where in the UK data may reside. For example, data from the NHS in England data may be hosted in Scotland, and vice versa.The guidance makes clear that while there are no additional risks attached to hosting data offshore, local data controllers should adopt a risk based approach to decision making about offshoring data. This provides data controllers with the option of keeping data onshore when they feel it necessary to do so. 



NHS and social care data guidance
(PDF Document, 109.48 KB)

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of all paid for prescriptions are paid for (1) on collection, and (2) by the prescription prepayment certificate.

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether prescriptions collected using the pre-payment certificate are recorded in their statistics as prescriptions that are dispensed free of charge; and if so, what percentage of free prescriptions are collected using the pre-payment certificate.

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of people in England receive free prescriptions.

baroness manzoor: The information is not available in the format requested. Information collected by the NHS Business Services Authority relates to prescription items dispensed in the community.

Continuing Care: Finance

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions have taken place between the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care about the costed breakdown of proposed cuts to the national budget of NHS Continuing Healthcare; whether they intend to provide a detailed rationale to account for the planned reductions in spending; and if so, whether they will publish that rationale.

baroness manzoor: The Department works closely with NHS England and has regular discussions about NHS Continuing Healthcare.NHS Continuing Healthcare expenditure is forecast to increase over the period to 2020/21. The identified £855 million efficiency opportunity is not predicated on changes to the National Framework in respect of eligibility or on limiting the care packages available.There should be no quota or cap on access to NHS Continuing Healthcare funding and NHS England does not aim to reduce spending on NHS Continuing Healthcare, but to reduce the rate of growth of expenditure. NHS England understands that there is variation on how individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are commissioning these services, and the NHS Continuing Healthcare Strategic Improvement Programme will be developing a range of commissioning tools to support CCGs in this role to deliver more efficient services.The detailed rationale is published in the Treasury Minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twelfth to the Nineteenth reports from Session 2017-19. The extract is as follows:“CHC expenditure (after efficiencies) is forecast to increase over the period to 2020/21, and the identified efficiency opportunity is not predicated on changes to the National Framework in respect of eligibility or on limiting the care packages available. How any efficiency is delivered in practice will of course be determined by CCGs locally, consistent with their statutory duties and national guidance in respect of access to CHC. National modelling based on variations in CHC expenditure and practice suggests the following notional efficiency opportunities in 2020/21, amounting to circa £855 million, which it is anticipated will inform local commissioning decisions: Working with the Department to provide clarity around the National Framework and improving the way CCGs deliver the National Framework. This includes interventions such as improved data and benchmarking information and reducing the number of CHC assessments in an acute hospital setting – (circa £361 million)Improving the commissioning of care packages – (circa £122 million)Improving CHC processes including the supporting of staff with Training and Development – (circa £79 million)CCGs locally delivered improvement initiatives – (circa £293 million).” A copy of the Treasury Minutes is attached.



Treasury Minutes
(PDF Document, 1.04 MB)

Dental Services

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of NHS registered dental practices in England and Wales in each of the last ten years.

baroness manzoor: The data is not currently available centrally in the format requested.

Offences against Children: Rotherham

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have reserved mental health funding specifically for survivors of sexual exploitation in Rotherham and their families; and if so, how much.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have provided support to Swinton Lock Activity Centre in Rotherham for the provision of counselling and other services for victims and survivors of sexual exploitation.

baroness manzoor: NHS England is providing NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with £250,000 in 2018/19 and 2019/20, which is being invested in setting up and running a trauma and resilience service, specifically for survivors and victims identified by Operation Stovewood, an investigation by the National Crime Agency into non-familial child sexual exploitation and abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. A major element of this work is developing a mental health trauma pathway for victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE). This service also supports other agencies and frontline staff where survivors do not want a new worker involved in their care. A further £100,000 has been provided by NHS England to NHS Rotherham CCG in extending the trauma and resilience service to support counselling and provide additional training for frontline workers, predominantly in voluntary and community sector. NHS Rotherham CCG has invested significantly in the local child and adolescent mental health service and has spent over £50,000 on CSE training and awareness for frontline health and care staff. In Rotherham, the local authority contributes funding for Swinton Lock Activity Centre. NHS Rotherham CCG focuses investment on health services for survivors and victims of CSE and their families.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey will publish the results of the review of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.

baroness manzoor: The Department has no plans to produce and publish a formal review document or the evidence collected as part of it.

NHS: Negligence

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 19 December (HL12113), how many clinical negligence cases resolved in 2017–18 had proceedings issued because of issues in dispute, including (1) breach of duty, and (2) causation; and of such cases, how many resulted in a payment of damages to the claimant.

baroness manzoor: NHS Resolution has advised that the information is not collated by them in the format requested.

Department for International Development

Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 17 December (HL12096), whether the adoption of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration would not make any criticism of immigration a criminal offence; and if so, what plans they have to mitigate any such impact on freedom of speech.

lord bates: The UK Government is supportive of the United Nations’ Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, both as a step forward in international co-operation to tackle irregular migration and as a framework to help us deliver our commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals. The Secretary of State announced the UK’s support for the Migration Compact at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018, and Minister Burt attended the intergovernmental launch event in Marrakesh in December 2018.   Well-managed migration is in everyone’s interests. But uncontrolled migration erodes public confidence, damages economies, and places people on the move in situations of great vulnerability. The UK is taking significant steps to tackle uncontrolled migration both in our domestic policy work and in our ODA-funded programmes by:   Addressing factors that may force people to migrate irregularly, through our targeted assistance for livelihoods, healthcare, and education and driving economic development;Tackling modern slavery and organised immigration crime;Supporting enhanced border management;Providing critical humanitarian support and protection for vulnerable migrants, as well as offering voluntary return and vital reintegration support to those wishing to return home; andSupporting refugees to stay in a first safe country through our humanitarian and development work in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.   The Global Compact for Migration supports delivery of these efforts within the international system and enhances cooperation between states without affecting the sovereignty of all countries to control their own borders. The Compact will not in any way create legal obligations for States, nor does it seek to establish international customary law or further interpret existing treaties or national obligations. It does not establish a ‘human right to migrate’ or create any new legal categories of migrant. The GCM emphasises that migrants are entitled to the same universal human rights as any human being and does not create any new ‘rights’ for migrants.   The Compact commits to protecting freedom of expression for the press and public. The freedom of the media to debate all issues of importance to society, including the issue of migration in all its aspects, is fundamental to a liberal society and the UK Government attaches the highest importance to this. The UK reiterated the importance of this when the UN adopted the Global Compact in December 2018.   It also includes proposals which will help the UK make a strong contribution to the delivery of the global Sustainable Development Goals. This includes those relating to orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people; and those intended to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, and child labour.   The final draft of the Compact is available online at: https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/files/180711_final_draft_0.pdf

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Big Ben

lord trefgarne: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of the progress of works being carried out on Elizabeth Tower,includingBig Ben; and when he expects those works to be completed.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The Elizabeth Tower refurbishment project, with a budget of £61 million jointly funded by the two Houses, is intended to conserve and prevent further deterioration of the Elizabeth Tower, including the Great Clock; ensure its fire safety compliance; improve the health and safety of the Elizabeth Tower for Members, staff and the public; improve the security and the efficiency of emergency evacuations; and improve the efficiency of the tours in the Elizabeth Tower. No works are required to be undertaken on the Great Bell (“Big Ben”) itself. The project is due for completion in 2021.Work on the project is progressing well. For instance, all elements of the Great Clock, and all cast iron roof components, have been removed from the Tower for conservation work and glazing, gilding and paint stripping work are continuing. Work on restoring the original colour scheme for the clock dials is well advanced. Arrangements have been made to ensure the Great Bell is sounded to mark Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, and to ring in the New Year on New Year’s Eve.  The Finance Committee receives regular updates on the progress of the project.

Treasury

Retail Trade: Taxation

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total receipt to HM Treasury in (1) 2016–17, and (2) 2017–18 of (a) VAT payable by retail traders and online traders, (b) income tax at the standard rate, (c) income tax at thehigher rate, (d) corporation tax, and (e) capital gains tax.

lord bates: The net Home VAT declared for the ‘Retail trade (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles)’ in 2016-17 is £6,420 million and in 2017-18 is £7,140 million. HMRC does not request information on whether VAT declared on traders’ returns is declared by online traders specifically, therefore this information is not available. Total income tax receipts in 2016-17 were £177,065 million and in 2017-18 were £180,049 million. HMRC does not hold information to base an estimate of income tax receipts split by the different income tax rates. Total receipts of Corporation Tax (including Bank Surcharge and Offshore CT) in 2016-17 were £50,679 million and in 2017-18 were £56,172 million. Total receipts of Capital Gains Tax in 2016-17 were ££8,561 million and in 2017-18 were £7,793 million.

Banks

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that private bankers are advising clients to consider moving assets out of the UK due touncertainty arising from Brexit.

lord bates: Delivering the deal agreed with the EU27 remains the government’s top priority. It is the best way to protect jobs and economic prosperity here and in the EU, and to avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, while respecting the referendum result and the integrity of the United Kingdom.In financial services, we have successfully agreed commitments for working towards a future framework with the EU, set out in the Political Declaration. These touch on the full spectrum of the UK’s White Paper position. Crucially, both sides intend to take decisions on granting equivalence at least 6 months before the end of the Implementation Period. The joint position also includes establishing processes to ensure close cooperation on regulatory and supervisory matters. This will help to preserve financial stability, market integration and investor protection.We remain committed to preserving our competitive position in financial services after the UK has left the European Union. Our industry continues to innovate and to move with the times – we have world-leading positions in the markets of the future, including green and sustainable finance, FinTech, and renminbi and rupee products.

Service Charges: VAT

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the requirement for VAT to be paid on the on-site staff labour element of residential property service chargeswas introduced.

lord bates: The supply of any on-site staff to an individual, landlord or company has, since the inception of VAT been a taxable supply. Such a supply is not identified in the VAT Act as being either an exempt supply or a zero rated supply.

Common Transit Convention

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they anticipate the UK will indefinitely remain part of the Common Transit Convention or leave at the end of any transition period.

lord bates: The UK has been invited to remain in the Common Transit Convention (CTC) after Brexit and the legislative changes needed to achieve that are passing through Parliament. Membership will continue to apply after the end of the implementation period. Continued membership ensures simplified cross-border trade for UK businesses exporting and importing their goods.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Non-domestic Rates

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total paid in business rates in the UK in respect of (1) offices, (2) retail units including shops, stores and warehouses not engaged in wholesale trade, (3) hotels and restaurants, (4) other leisure and entertainment facilities, (5) commercial car parking facilities, and (6) other VAT taxable activities, in (a)2016–17, and (b)2017–18.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Business rates are a locally collected tax and the Government does not hold data on the split of business rates paid by sector. Since 2016, the Government has introduced a range of business rates reforms and measures to support business worth over £13 billion in England over the next five years. This includes reducing business rates bills by a third for two years for eligible retail businesses with a rateable value of less than £51,000, as announced at Budget.

Holiday Accommodation: Registration

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of steps taken in other countries requiring home owners to offer only their primary residences as short-term holiday lets and to register with the local council and pay a fee before doing so.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We do not intend to introduce new legislation to prohibit short term lets or require households to register these lets. Instead, the Government is encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up standards and promote best practice in the industry, and to work with local authorities to support their enforcement and monitoring functions.

Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 18 December (HL12036), why they have not commenced those parts of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 not yet in force.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In relation to the Planning provisions in Part 1 of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017, Section 7 (Engagement by examiners with qualified bodies, etc) has not been commenced as the Department wishes to first see how effective recently produced sector led guidance by the Neighbourhood Planning Independent Examiner Referral Service is. Guidance required under Section 8(2) (Content of development plan documents) will be published shortly. The provisions under Section 14 (Planning conditions) restricting the power to impose planning conditions have not commenced as they require affirmative regulations and further public consultation.In relation to the Compulsory Purchase provisions in Part 2 of the Act, Sections 18-28 and 31 (Temporary possession of land) are yet to be commenced as they are subject to the making of other regulations and further public consultation. Sections 39 and 40 (Interest on late payments) cannot be commenced until other regulations relating to rates of interest are made. The Government continues to keep the commencement of these remaining provisions under active review alongside further planning reforms.

Owner Occupation

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to reformresidential leasehold and commonhold law.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government wants to ensure the leasehold system in England is fair and transparent to the consumer. Unfair practices in the leasehold market have no place in a modern housing market. Neither do excessive ground rents, which exploit consumers who get nothing in return.   Our technical consultation on how to improve the leasehold market and make it fairer for consumers closed on 26 November. It sought views on:how to ban the development of new build leasehold houses, other than in exceptional circumstances;how to restrict ground rents in newly established leases of houses and flats to a nominal, peppercorn value; andhow to address loopholes in the law to improve transparency and fairness for leaseholders and freeholders.The Government is carefully analysing the responses and will introduce legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allowsThe Secretary of State has asked the Law Commission to take forward further work to reform residential and commonhold law. The Law Commission is currently consulting on how to make buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, faster, fairer and cheaper, and how to reinvigorate commonhold to provide greater choice for consumers. The Law Commission is due to report to ministers on these issues in 2019. In addition, the Secretary of State has asked the Law Commission to look at improving the laws which allow leaseholders to manage their own buildings.

Religious Hatred

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 5 and 19 December (HL11727 and HL12195), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what support they will give to Nissar Hussein and his family and others who have left the Islamic faith and are facing persecution in the UK.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Britain has a strong legal framework and police provisions in place to support its values of tolerance, freedom of worship, and the rule of law, and to protect individuals or groups who may be vulnerable. It is therefore only left for the Government to yet again reiterate that anyone facing crime, the threat of crime, or any sort of harassment, for any reason, should report to the police. The Government is committed to ensuring that victims of all crimes have access to the support services they need to help them cope with and, as far as possible, recover from the effects of crime. In 2017/18 roughly £200 million from multiple pots across government was used to fund a range of both local and national commissioning of support services for victims of crime.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Christmas Bonus

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Christmas bonus paid to claimants of certain benefits has been abolished for claimants moving to Universal Credit; and whether they made any announcement about that change.

baroness buscombe: The qualifying conditions for the Christmas Bonus (which has been set out at £10 since it was introduced in 1972) are published on Gov.uk. The qualifying benefits that produce entitlement to a Christmas Bonus are non means tested benefits, such as Attendance Allowance, Personal Independent Payment and Carer’s Allowance. The income-related working age benefits that Universal Credit replaces were not treated as a qualifying benefit for Christmas Bonuses and therefore the payment of Universal Credit does not directly produce entitlement to the Christmas Bonus.

Universal Credit: Disability

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertakeninto the accessibility needs of disabled people due to undergo the managed migration process as part of the move to Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: The Department is committed to ensuring that all claimants are fully supported during the managed migration process. We are currently working closely with a large and diverse range of stakeholders, including those supporting disabled people, to design processes that work for everyone and most effectively support those who will need help during migration. We have said that we will begin managed migration on a small scale in 2019 to pilot our processes and ensure that they are working, adapting them and building on feedback before we begin to take on larger volumes of claimants.

Universal Credit: Disability

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to engage with (1) disabled people, and (2) organisations representing disabled people about the accessibility needs of those undertaking managed migration as part of the move to Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: We are working closely with stakeholders and other parties to design the best possible process for the migration of all of our customers, including those with disabilities, to Universal Credit. Our focus will be on safeguarding claimants and ensuring a smooth transition with uninterrupted support. We will have a comprehensive and well-supported preparation period for claimants. This will include a variety of communication formats, including face-to-face, internet and postal notification, to ensure claimants are aware of the managed migration process. There is flexibility to extend that period if necessary for claimants; and a process to ensure that, before the existing benefits are stopped, our staff will check for evidence of complex needs or vulnerability or disability and act accordingly to support the claimant. We have agreed to explore options for improving the process of consent in collaboration with the Social Security Advisory Committee’s to consider how current practices could be enhanced, and we will publish a report on our joint conclusions.

Universal Credit

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to conduct an impact assessment of the proposed managed migration process to Universal Credit; if so, whether they will publish that assessment; and if so, when.

baroness buscombe: In our response the Social Security Advisory Committee on 5 November 2018 we committed to conducting detailed Equality Assessments of migration plans. This is an iterative process and will be fully evaluated with equality impacts reassessed in accordance with the evaluation. We will publish an assessment of the impacts of managed migration prior to increasing the scale. We routinely publish reviews of Universal Credit. These include the Universal Credit Impact Assessment (December 2012) and the Universal Credit Programme Full Business Case Summary (June 2018), which sets out the rationale for Universal Credit as well as the financial impacts it is expected to have. We plan to publish a full evaluation of Universal Credit when it has been fully implemented.

Universal Credit: Internet

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for people who are unable to use the online system for Universal Credit application and migration.

baroness buscombe: Anyone who requires help making their claim online can call our Freephone helpline to find out what help and support is available. Claimants can also access the internet for free at their local Jobcentre, Council or library. If new claimants, or those who have experienced a change in circumstances resulting in their migration to Universal Credit, need more intensive or specific support, help is available through our current Universal Support Assisted Digital Service. This provides bespoke help, support and skills for claimants to make and maintain their digital account online. As part of the design process for managed migration, we are considering different approaches for how to best migrate claimants onto Universal Credit. We are currently working closely with a large and diverse range of stakeholders to design migration processes that work for everyone and which most effectively support those who will need more help. Universal Credit has been designed with accessibility in mind and we are committed to providing personalised support for all claimants, including vulnerable groups, so we ensure that we make reasonable adjustments to meet claimant’s individual needs to allow them to access our services and information. This means that for example, the Department can communicate with customers in a variety of different formats such as Braille, audio, large print, or by arranging for a member of staff to visit the customer in their home.

Occupational Pensions

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey plan to require employers to report annually on actions they, or their agents, have taken to verify that contributions made on behalf of staff to auto-enrolment pension schemes are (1) correct, and (2) have been amended if they were found to be incorrect; and if not, what discussions they have had with the Pensions Regulator about introducing such a requirement.

baroness buscombe: I refer the noble Baroness to my answer of 18 December. The regulatory regime is designed so that errors can be identified and material failures can be reported, the Pensions Regulator can then require restitution; and, where necessary, make use of its enforcement powers. The Government keeps all aspects of automatic enrolment under regular review but has no plans to make changes to the compliance framework at this time.

Personal Independence Payment

lord clark of windermere: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in reviewing Personal Independence Payment claims following the High Court judgment on 21 December 2017; whether they will automatically review the cases of all individuals assessed prior to that judgment; and if so, whether those individuals will be informed that their casesare being reviewed.

baroness buscombe: The High Court judgment on 21 December 2017 refers to the successful challenge by judicial review of the 2017 amending regulation which had reversed the effect of the MH Upper Tribunal (UT) decision. This decision, handed down on 28 November 2016 related to how overwhelming psychological distress should be considered when assessing a claimant’s ability to plan and follow a journey under PIP mobility activity 1. As outlined in the Written Statement of 25 June 2018 (HLWS767) my Department is currently carrying out an administrative exercise to identify anyone who may be entitled to more support under Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as a result of the MH UT decision. At the same time, case managers will be considering the RJ decision, which concerns the way the Department assesses whether claimants can complete a PIP activity safely and if supervision is required. As outlined in the written statement of 20 December 2018 (HCWS1224), as at 23 November 2018, 140,000 cases had been reviewed and cleared and around 1,000 claimants had received payments. Given the complexity of the exercise we have started at a relatively small scale to test our processes to ensure they are effective before ramping up. Under this administrative exercise we are reviewing decisions made by the Department where the claimant was in receipt of PIP at the date of the Upper Tribunal decisions (MH, 28th November 2016 and RJ, 9th March 2017) and those who have had a decision made on their PIP claim since those dates. We will also be reviewing claims disallowed after these decisions. All claimants will be notified if we have reviewed their case. Claimants do not need to contact the Department at this stage.

Universal Credit

baroness healy of primrose hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people do not incur extra costs, such as obtaining photographic identification, in order to complete Universal Credit applications.

baroness buscombe: If a claimant does not have photographic identification, staff are able to use a number of alternative identification methods. For example, we can accept separate documentary evidence or we can contact trusted third parties (such as a doctor) in order to verify a claimants identity. These identification methods should not incur costs. The Department take the security of Universal Credit very seriously, including verifying who our claimants are. We continue to work closely with Government Digital Service to support the success of the Verify online system. The high standards of ID verification achieved by Verify are used on our Universal Credit Full Service today in addition to a face-to-face alternative approach.

Universal Credit

baroness healy of primrose hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish further details of the planned test and trial phase of Universal Credit managed migration; and how managed migration will impact vulnerable claimants.

baroness buscombe: As part of our design process for managed migration we are considering different approaches for how to best migrate claimants onto Universal Credit. We are currently working closely with a large and diverse range of stakeholders to design migration processes that work for everyone and most effectively support those who will need more help. We have said that we will begin managed migration on a small scale in 2019 to pilot our processes and ensure that they are working, adapting them and building on feedback before we begin to take on larger volumes of claimants. In our published response on 5 November 2018 to the Social Security Advisory Committee’s report, we have committed to publishing an assessment of the managed migration pilot once it is complete, and prior to scaling up managed migration.

Universal Credit: Disability

baroness healy of primrose hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether those currently in receipt of disability related benefits will be regarded as vulnerable claimants for the purpose of the Universal Credit managed migration process.

baroness buscombe: We are committed to fully support all of our claimants through our managed migration processes, which we are working with stakeholders to co-design to ensure that they work for the most vulnerable. There are many reasons why someone could be vulnerable or in need of additional support, and we work hard to ensure that the support we provide for each claimant is tailored specifically to their circumstances, making individual assessments of the help that each claimant needs.

Universal Credit: Learning Disability

baroness hollins: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people with a learning disability will be subject to the Universal Credit managed migration process.

baroness hollins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they have done to ensure that the application process for Universal Credit is accessible for people with a learning disability.

baroness hollins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement the Department for Work and Pensions has had with organisations representing people with learning disabilities about the Universal Credit managed migration process to ensure that communications are accessible for people with learning disabilities.

baroness buscombe: We are unable to forecast who might need to go through the managed migration processes, as it will apply to those who have not had by that point a change in their circumstances. There will inevitably be a number of claimants currently receiving ESA who will be managed migrated, but we do not have data on the nature of their disability. We are committed to fully support all of our claimants through our managed migration processes, which we are working with a diverse stakeholders to co-design to ensure that they work for the most vulnerable. In each phase of the design process, we will be working with a broad range of participants representing all of our claimants, including those with learning disabilities. We will ensure through this work that our design is user-centred, and that we use a wide range of insights to collaboratively develop our approach.

British Nationals Abroad: Italy

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 11 December (HL12190), whether UK citizens who have retired to or are planning to retire to Italy will continue to receive the annual increase in their state pensions if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.

baroness buscombe: The UK State Pension will continue to be payable worldwide following the UK’s departure from the EU. As the Government set out in its Policy Paper ‘Citizens’ Rights – EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU’ we want to secure continued reciprocal arrangements covering the uprating of State Pensions in the EU even in the event of a ‘no deal’ exit. We will uprate the UK State Pension for those living in the EU in 2019-20. The paper on Citizens’ Rights is attached for reference.



Paper on Citizens' Rights
(PDF Document, 191.81 KB)

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the universal support scheme to cover Universal Credit managed migration; and if so, what additional funding will be made available to Citizens Advice for that purpose.

baroness buscombe: Our managed migration processes will develop gradually as we design them with our stakeholders, and we are working to ensure that we get our approach to support in this process right. Alongside this, other learning, including that from the delivery of Universal Support in new partnership with Citizens Advice, will feed directly into the managed migration pilot and we will consider how best to develop the broader Universal Support offer once the pilot is complete.

National Insurance

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of National Insurance numbers issued to individuals with dates of birth before (1) 1940, (2) 1950, and (3) 1960 are now inactive.

baroness buscombe: The requested information is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Home Office

Mobile Phones: Evidence

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have provided in each year since 2012–13 to enable citizens to send the police photo, video and audio evidence of crimes they have captured on their smartphones.

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about the savings it could make by promoting the Self Evident app as a way to (1) obtain photo and video evidence of crimes from victims and witnesses, (2) enable citizens to record an initial witness statement, and (3) provide support for repeat and vulnerable victims.

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Metropolitan Police Service about how much it estimates the annual cost of using the Self Evident app would be.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is running an ambitious portfolio of programmes to improve the national technology capabilities available to policing. This includes: the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) providing a single platform for critical voice and data; Home Office Biometrics provides a single platform for fingerprint, facial recognition and DNA; The National Law Enforcement Data Programme provides access across policing to national police information as well as sharing intelligence across forces; The National ANPR Service will unite all local ANPR systems into a single national system; and the Home Office continues to enhance the capabilities of the national Child Abuse Image Database.These programmes are replacing aging and obsolete technology, as well as introducing new capabilities, and we are working with policing across this portfolio to support maximisation of the benefits these offer: cash savings, productivity opportunities and better outcomes for the public.

Home Office: Arms Length Bodies

baroness henig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what rules are applied to Home Office arms length bodies such as the Disclosure and Barring Service and the Security Industry Authority in relation to how they can use surplus income generated from the accumulation of previous years' fees.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office follows the standard HM Treasury rules, as set out in the Consoldiated Budgeting guidance and Managing Public Money.

Security Industry Authority

baroness henig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Security Industry Authority (SIA) paid the Home Office for their services in scrutinising and holding the SIA to account in each of the last three financial years; and how many Home Office officials were engaged in that work.

baroness williams of trafford: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has made the following payments to the Home Office for its services in scrutinising and holding the SIA to ac-count in each of the last three financial years:• 2016/17 - £177,540.50• 2017/18 - £304,454.72• 2018/19 - In respect of Q1 and 2 only: £151,385.62Eleven officials at various grades in the Home Office are involved in this work on a day-to-day basis, for example from sponsorship, policy and finance. Their work in connection with the SIA forms part of their duties as they also work with other Home Office sponsored ALBs and on the wider departmental objectives

Radicalism

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so, why, admission to the UK was given to radical clerics who have praised Mumtaz Qadrifor killing Salmaan Taseer, the former Governor of the Punjab; and what assessment they have made of the comments of Haras Rafiq, Chief Executive of the Quilliam Foundation, that advocates of murder should not be given public platforms in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: HM Government does not routinely comment on individual cases. All appli-cations are considered on their individual merits in line with the Immigration Rules.We have robust policies in place to exclude those whose be-haviour is non-conducive to the public good in the UK.Furthermore, the Counter-Extremism Strategy (2015) sets out our efforts to engage internationally to counter the flow of extremism to the UK, whether money, people or ideology; build international partnerships with all those opposed to extremism; and disrupt extremists from entering the UK. The Home Secretary has the power to exclude non-British nationals from the UK if he believes they represent a serious threat to our society

European Arrest Warrants

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 12 December (HL11886), how many EU member states currently have constitutional or legislative provisions which would prevent extradition under a European Arrest Warrant to a non-EU member state; and how many EU member states replaced the provisions of the European Convention on Extradition when the provisions of the European Arrest Warrant came into force.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no precedent for a non-EU Member State to operate the European Arrest Warrant. It will be for Member States to determine how they implement their rights and obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement in the context of their domestic law. It would not be appropriate for the UK government to speculate publicly about individual Member States’ intentions in this regard.After the entry into force of the European Arrest Warrant, all Member States of the European Union have remained parties to the European Convention on Extradition and continue to operate it with other Council of Europe members who are not Member States of the EU.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Migration Advisory Committee EEA migration in the UK: final report, published in September, whether they intend to introduce changes to current immigration policy; and if so, what changes.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government set out their response to the Migration Advisory Committee and their future plans for immigration in a White Paper, The UK’s future skills-based immigration system, published on the 19 December 2018

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an evaluation of the Tier 4 visa pilot for masters students; if so, when it was completed; and what changes are now proposed in the Immigration Rules.

baroness williams of trafford: An initial evaluation of the Tier 4 Visa Pilot was published on gov.uk on 19 December.The evaluation supported the proposals set out in the Immigration White Paper: The UK’s future skills-based immigration system.

Social Services: Vetting

baroness hollins: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Disclosure and Barring Service applications for employment in the adult social care workforce took more than (1) 60 days, and (2) 100 days to complete in (a) 2016, and (b) 2017.

baroness hollins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average time taken to complete Disclosure and Barring Service applications for employment in the adult social care workforce in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not held centrally. The DBS do not hold the information requested by sector.

Rights of Accused

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byBaroness Barran on 18 December (HL Deb, col 1697), whether they will seek specific advice from the College of Policing on appropriate guidance on exceptional circumstances justifying the naming a deceased person before charge.

baroness williams of trafford: The College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice Guidance on Media Relations covers the exceptional circumstances and processes by which a suspect’s name may be released before charge. In May 2018, the College updated this guidance to make clear that it also applies where allegations are made against deceased persons.

Offences against Children: Rotherham

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to hasten the provision of financial support to survivors of sexual exploitation in Rotherham and their families.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Secretary has committed to working closely with local authorities in Rotherham to encourage as many victims as possible to come forward and to ensure that appropriate support is available when they do. The Government has empowered local commissioners to deliver services for victims and they are best place to assess the support needs in the local area and to commission services to meet those needs.To help address the increased demand for victims’ services in Rotherham the Department for Education is providing additional funding of up to £2m to children’s social care. The Ministry of Justice has provided £1.6m to the Police and Crime Commissioner to commission local victims’ services and around £549k extra funding to provide specialist support, including Independent Sexual Violence Advisers. NHS England has worked with regional Health and Justice Commissioners to reconfigure existing resources to support victims in Rotherham, providing £500k up to 2020.

British Nationality: Republic of Ireland

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 16 November (HL11562), what the process to register as a British citizen for Irish citizens born before 1983 to English mothers involves; and whether the grant is automatic as in the case of those born after 1983.

baroness williams of trafford: Applications for registration can be made using Form UKM which is availa-ble on the Gov.UK website. The person applying must provide information to show that they would have become a British citizen had women been able to pass on citizenship in the same way as menFor people born on or after 1 January 1983, citizenship is normally acquired automatically if the person’s mother was a British citizen and born in the UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Free Movement of People

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of ending freedom of movement on UK citizens after Brexit.

lord callanan: The Government has been clear that freedom of movement will end when the UK leaves the EU. In future, it will be for the UK Government and Parliament to determine the domestic immigration rules that will apply. The White Paper The UK’s future skills-based immigration system sets out the foundation for a single immigration system, where it is workers’ skills that matter, not where they come from. In line with the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation, we will focus on the highly skilled, and prioritise those migrants who bring most benefit to the UK to maximise the benefits of immigration. This represents a sensible, balanced package which will support the economy and enable us to take control of immigration.The Home Office is launching a year-long engagement process to enable businesses and other stakeholders to shape the details of policy and processes.Recognising the depth of the UK-EU relationship, the UK has made a sovereign choice to seek reciprocal mobility arrangements with the EU in a defined number of areas, for example to allow business professionals to move to provide services, or tourists to continue to travel visa-free. This is reflected in the political declaration on our future relationship and the detail will be discussed in the next phase of negotiations. Our future immigration system will be flexible to incorporate any mobility arrangements from trade deals we do around the world, including with the EU.

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contingency arrangements they are putting in place to amend, repeal or revoke the European Union Withdrawal Act 2018 and delegated legislation made under that Act in the event that the UK does not leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

lord callanan: The Government is committed to leaving the European Union on the 29 March 2019, and delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority.

Brexit

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, as endorsed by leaders at a special meeting of the European Council on 25 November 2018, what is the definition of "dependent" when applied to parents; and what assessment they have made of whether that definition covers physically, mentally and financially dependent parents and grandparents.

lord callanan: There is no definition of “dependent” when applied to parents in the draft Withdrawal Agreement, and there is no definition in the Free Movement Directive. However, the UK considers that physical, mental and financial factors can all be relevant.Under the EU Settlement Scheme the dependence of a parent of the relevant EU citizen or of their spouse or civil partner will be assumed.

Department for International Trade

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

lord brookman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to protect the British steel industry from cheap imports of foreign steel.

baroness fairhead: Trade remedies are currently under EU competence while we remain a Member State. It is for industry to demonstrate prima facie evidence of dumping that is causing material injury to EU producers, to the European Commission. We encourage industry to present such evidence to the Commission. Where evidence is sufficient to justify an investigation, the Commission will do so and present any proposals for imposing duties to Member States. The UK is committed to a rules-based international trade system and is in the process of establishing the Trade Remedies Authority to ensure that UK businesses continue to be protected from unfair and injurious trade practices once we leave the EU. The UK is also an active participant in the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, which aims to address excess capacity in the steel sector.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sustainability of the Press Review

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Cairncross Review into the sustainability of the press, announced on 28 June, to be published.

lord ashton of hyde: We expect the Cairncross Review's report to be published in early 2019.

Publishing

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of Brexit on (1) UK authors, poets, translators and illustrators, and (2) the wider UK publishing industry, in the case of (a) a negotiated Brexit deal and (b) no deal.

lord ashton of hyde: Delivering the EU Exit deal remains the Government’s top priority. Officials have met with industry representatives to discuss EU exit issues and will continue to do so. We recognise the economic and cultural importance of UK publishing and literature, with the UK’s vibrant book and journal industry worth £4.4bn. The UK produces an extraordinary level of talent in literature and publishing and the decision to leave the EU will not change that. The UK exports books to every region in the world, with exports of physical and digital books worth £1.42bn. . Whether the UK leaves the EU with a deal or not, we will be able to negotiate, ratify and sign off trade agreements once we have left the EU and we want the UK to continue to be one of the best places in the world for literature and publishing.

Ministry of Justice

Debt Collection

lord flight: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total (1) cost of running the County Court Bailiffs service, and (2) receipts from licences and permits for High Court Enforcement Officers in each of the last five years for which data is available.

lord keen of elie: (1)The information requested is not held centrally (2)High Court Enforcement Officers are appointed by the Senior Master of the Queen’s Bench Division at the High Court, to carry out enforcement within certain postal districts. The Ministry of Justice does not receive any money from this appointment process.

Women and Equalities

Civil Partnerships: Heterosexuality

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will carry out a consultation on the planned reforms to civil partnerships announced in October; and if so, when.

baroness williams of trafford: We intend to consult, during 2019, on the planned reforms to allow opposite-sex couples to form a civil partnership.